MAAC foes will battle when the Canisius Golden Griffins (6-7) go head-to-head against the Rider Broncs (7-5) at Koessler Athletic Center. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 153 points with Canisius opening as a 1-point favorite. Action starts at 4:30 p.m. ET on Friday, December 29, 2017.
Rider Broncs vs. Canisius Golden Griffins Betting Preview
The Broncs won a close one over the Penn State Nittany Lions in their last game, 71-70. With 12 points and seven assists, Stevie Jordan played well for Rider. The Broncs had a better turnover percentage (14.2 vs. 15.9), while the Nittany Lions had a free throw rate of 0.145 (below their season average of 0.249).
In the Golden Griffins last game, they defeated the Robert Morris Colonials, 76-62. With 18 points on 8-for-14 shooting, Isaiah Reese was Canisius high scorer. The Golden Griffins, who came into the game averaging an effective field goal percentage of 0.552, had a fantastic mark of 0.634 and had an offensive rebounding percentage of 36.7 (above their season average of 29.5).
Canisius appears to have the edge on the offensive side of the ball. The Golden Griffins currently rank 44th in effective field goal percentage (0.558), while Rider ranks 239th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.516). It will also be a showdown of conflicting paces as the fast-paced Broncs rank 29th in possessions per game, while the more half-court oriented Golden Griffins rank 306th.
These two teams are complete opposites in terms of the O/U total. Rider games have gone over 75.0 percent of the time, while 81.8 percent of games including Canisius have finished under. The Broncs hold the substantial advantage straight up (SU) (7-5 vs. 6-7), but the Golden Griffins have the superior against the spread (ATS) record (7-4 vs. 5-3).
This is the first time these teams will clash this year, after splitting two games last season. In the last matchup, the Golden Griffins won 85-77. The Golden Griffins dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a free throw rate of 0.188 and a turnover percentage of 17.3. The Broncs recorded marks of 0.119 and 20.7, respectively, for those same stats.
Rider Broncs vs. Canisius Golden Griffins Free Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Canisius, ATS Winner – Rider, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Golden Griffins average 16.2 assists per game, which ranks 53rd in the NCAA. The Broncs rank 197th in assists allowed per game (15.3).
- Rider ranks 49th in steals allowed per game (5.5) while Canisius ranks 65th (5.8).
- On the road, Rider is 5-2 ATS with 5 overs and 2 unders.
- Canisius is 4-0 ATS at home with 3 unders and 1 over.
- Canisius ranks 41st in rebounds allowed per game (31.8) while Rider ranks 237th (38.8).
- The Golden Griffins rank fourth in blocks allowed per game (1.8) while the Broncs rank 176th (6.4).
- Canisius ranks 21st in three pointers allowed per game (17.9) while Rider ranks 186th (23.8).
Bettings Trends:
- Canisius is 2-1 ATS with 3 unders in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Rider is 1-2 ATS with 2 overs and 1 under.
- The Golden Griffins average margin of victory in their last five games has been 2.4, up from 1.9 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Broncs have scored an average of 79.0 points per game (3.0 below their season average) and allowed an average of 81.8 points per game (2.4 above their season average).
